


quicksilver

by FaultyParagon



Series: Canon-Compliant/Canon-Rooted RWBY Fics [37]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Achilles Heel, Angst, Betrayal, Canon Compliant, Drama, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Heartache, Heartbreak, Mercury will always be one of my favourite boys, Merkos, Pining, Romance, THIS IS A CRACKSHIP, Volume 2 (RWBY), Volume 3 (RWBY), What-If, and yes, if you're going to comment about arkos i will just delete ur comment
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-20 12:21:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30004806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FaultyParagon/pseuds/FaultyParagon
Summary: She is a flame, burning brighter than anything he has ever seen. All he can do is dance around her, wondering whether he will ever solidify into something she can hold onto.He knows he won't. They're too different, Mercury Black and Pyrrha Nikos. He still wonders, anyways.-aka a what-if for one of my favourite ships (Merkos) seeing what could happen if they actually built a relationship during V2/3.
Relationships: Jaune Arc & Pyrrha Nikos, Mercury Black & Emerald Sustrai, Mercury Black/Pyrrha Nikos
Series: Canon-Compliant/Canon-Rooted RWBY Fics [37]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1815229
Comments: 15
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This pairing is one of my fave ships in all of RWBY. I find their potential to be fascinating. Yes, it's a crackship. Yes, there's no way they're canon. I'm having fun, so let me be. If you want to read Arkos, go read [this giant series.](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1448071)

When he first notices little Pyrrha Nikos waving goodbye to the insipid other girl on her team, Mercury pays it no mind. It is not his job to bother with his ‘classmates’ during his months at Beacon. Besides, Cinder has already identified Pyrrha as a potential threat; anyone known as the ‘Invincible Girl’ could pose an obstacle in their overall plan, so Mercury knows better than to let his guard down around her.

And yet, as he watches her walk down the hall, her strong, proud shoulders straight and confident as long legs clad in dark tights stride towards a fire escape (why a fire escape, of all things?) Mercury cannot help but allow his eyes to linger upon long red strands shimmering even underneath the dull, sickly-yellow fluorescent glow of the ceiling lights.

The redness of her hair is almost jarring, he thinks. It is so different from the burning crimson of Cinder’s fire. That brightness which Pyrrha carries within herself- that ease and earnestness- it makes his stomach twist a little. He does not know why.

He does not have long to ponder, though, for Emerald comes and places a hand on his shoulder, a slight jerk of her head to the side indicating that they have a meeting, and they must be off. So, he leaves, squashing down his absent curiosity. Pyrrha Nikos is just another threat to be mowed down one day, after all-

At least, he _wishes_ he could say that.

The second time he really notices her, it is not her shocking ponytail of hair that catches his eye, although he cannot help but register the long ribbon of crimson strands as uniquely mimicking Pyrrha Nikos’ every movement; instead, it is her gait that takes him by surprise. Although it is the end of a long day, she walks with a slight bounce her step, a pleased smile as she makes her way to the same fire escape after class, waving goodbye to the other girl on her team as if this routine is completely normal. Mercury wracks his brain for the schematic of Beacon’s layout which he had been forced to memorize before their infiltration; the staircase which she is taking leads nowhere but to a small rooftop above Beacon’s dormitory. There should not be anything there.

Still, he has things to do and training of his own to complete. Thanks to the image he has cultivated for himself in Beacon’s unsuspecting territory, Mercury needs to continue playing his part as the fool of Emerald’s team, accomplishing _just enough_ to be deemed as a good fighter, but never showcasing his true strength. Unfortunately, that air of feigned idiocy means that he can only complete his own training after hours, a fact which he loathes more than anything.

He wants to fight. This comfortable lifestyle in Beacon Academy is making him slow, complacent; he cannot afford to lose the edge his skills barely grant him.

Without a Semblance, there is no room for error. He must be strong enough to survive; otherwise, he shall be devoured.

He has not lived this long to be consumed now.

And yet- and _yet_ (there really shouldn’t be an ‘and yet’ and it nags at him incessantly that he is wavering so) he finds that a few days later, as he follows Emerald out of the classroom at the end of the school day, he spots that same long ponytail swaying as Pyrrha walks away, a bounce in her step as she makes her way down the hall. Mercury’s steps slow to a gradual halt as he watches that little orange-haired girl from Pyrrha’s team jump onto the redhead’s back, cheerfully chirping something into Pyrrha’s ear. The taller girl nods and laughs, her face shining as a blush spreads across her cheeks.

Mercury is dumbstruck with that smile. There is something so strange about that flustered expression upon her face; Pyrrha Nikos is always cool and poised in class or during combat, so to see her actually become _embarrassed_ intrigues him to no end. Does Nora know a weakness of hers? Is there something he can use?

He needs to know.

He does not tell Emerald that he is leaving her behind. She won’t worry about him- she never does. On her end, Pyrrha does not notice his footsteps, even though his metal boots clink lightly against the concrete steps. The redhead appears far more focused on whatever her destination may be, the girl’s steps light and airy as she nearly skips up the last few.

He does not make it out of the fire escape to see what in the world has entranced her so; however, as he lingers upon the upper landing from which Pyrrha has made her exit, he does manage to hear thundering, clumsy footsteps rushing up the staircase from the bottom floor, the familiar, bumbling voice of Jaune Arc echoing as the blond leader of Pyrrha’s team scurries up. Mercury quickly tucks himself into the corner of the landing. Thankfully, Jaune is too busy focusing on gasping for air as he finally drags himself to the top of the staircase to realize that Mercury is even there, leaving Mercury behind without so much as a glance.

Before the door can close behind Jaune completely, Mercury catches the handle. As gingerly as he can, he slides between the door and the frame, listening in on the conversation, curiosity burning a hole in his gut.

“Sorry I’m late, Pyrrha!” Jaune cries, gasping for air. “Professor Oobleck-“

“Wanted you to look over your mistakes on the exam, I know,” Pyrrha chuckles, her voice smooth and welcoming and warm. “I’m glad you’re here, though. Ready to train?”

“Of course!” the blond chirps, the echoing of metal slipping out of sheaths ringing in the air.

Mercury quietly slips back into the stairwell, careful to keep the clicking of the door as minimal as possible behind him. _She’s training Blondie there? What’s the point? He’s no good anyways- isn’t that a waste of time?_ he wonders, silently making his way back down the stairwell.

A part of him is contented with this discovery. No matter how much she trains Jaune Arc, he likely will always be a liability; if Pyrrha is busy training him, she won’t be able to really improve herself, either. There’s no losing on either end in regards to Cinder’s faction.

Mercury’s eyes linger upon the rooftop as he exits the building anyways. He cannot see her, but he can imagine that long red hair dancing in the wind, contrasting starkly with the navy backdrop of the early evening sky. It is this image which replays over and over again in his mind that night as he recalls the sheer tenderness of her voice, the excitement and earnest, open joy in her eyes.

Flushing suits her, he thinks. He barely notices this thought, but it wedges itself in his brain, tattooing itself under his skin. Pyrrha Nikos may be the ‘Invincible Girl’, but there is an innocence in her actions, and for some reason, the image of her smile refuses to go away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at him having all of these f e e l i n g s
> 
> Let me know if you're reading along :D

There is little to look at in Beacon after the initial veneer of curiosity and the professionalism of a trained killer fade away; it is far too neat and manicured to ever truly be _interesting,_ leaving it to turn into naught but a blur of lines to fade away in the edges of his vision as he tucks his hands into his pockets and strolls out of the main building. Why he, too, had to attend the workshop for all visiting schools, he does not know- it isn’t as if he is even really a student of Haven Academy anyways, although no one suspects him nor Emerald of their true identities- but now that it is over, all he wants to do is go back to his room as sleep.

Well, what he _really_ wants to do is down in Vale, or perhaps in the Emerald Forest. However, with Cinder’s orders to stay under the radar and to stay on campus unless otherwise tasked, he has no choice but to remain there. He hates this fact- he feels so immobile, so trapped. Angrily, he stomps down a small set of stairs on his way back to the dormitory with far more force than necessary. It is childish, but he cannot help it. He did not sell his soul to get new legs only to be stopped in place by a leash.

As he turns the corner, however, something catches his eye. He pauses, lifting his gaze above the horizon. A familiar blur of long red tumbling around in the wind is absolutely striking even in the darkness, the few remaining lights which continue to illuminate the campus even at this hour bouncing off her hair, leaving her a torch in the evening sky. Mercury’s eyes drink in this sight greedily- Pyrrha Nikos’ footwork is flawless as she twirls and evades Jaune Arc’s sword over and over again, the blond tripping over his own feet with each attempt to strike her down.

He had told Cinder about her near-nightly sessions training Jaune. “It doesn’t matter,” the woman had replied, amused beyond measure. She had held out her palm, illuminating their shared dorm room with the flames of magic which swirl boundlessly within her heart; the fires had cast an almost sickeningly red tinge upon her pale, drawn-up face, despite her comfortable, relaxed smile. “Jaune Arc is nothing but a pet. He will never be a threat. Pyrrha, however, could be, so we’ll have to watch out for her.”

Mercury agrees. After scoping out nearly all of the fighters who have gathered in Beacon Academy for the upcoming Vytal Festival Tournament, he knows with near absolute certainty that he and Emerald could crush nearly all of the opposition they could face. No one would be able to oppose them-

Other than Pyrrha Nikos. Her skills seem to outshine them all. Some of the other students are strong- only _she_ is a _threat._

So, it is justified to watch her, right? He tells himself it is so as he gives up any pretenses of continuing on his path entirely, his past fatigue melting away as he watches the tall, powerful redhead spar almost playfully against the struggling blond.

Finally, Jaune stays down. Pyrrha’s peals of laughter echo through the air; whilst the rest of their conversation is muted, swallowed up by the night sky, that resounding joy which spills forth from her proud figure is painfully gentle in contrast to the figure he has seen training in Beacon’s halls.

Perhaps it is this contrast, this difference, that compels Mercury to alter his course. His feet take him to the building upon which Pyrrha and Jaune are practicing, his body easily retracing his past steps whilst he daydreams. His movements are silent, stealthy, his steps practiced to perfection to hide his presence as he practically flies up the steps to the topmost landing. In his favour, the door is already slightly open; sticking his head outside, he spots the duo sitting on the ground, facing away from him, giving him the perfect cover.

It takes barely a moment for him to step outside and clamber up the small rooftop ladder leading to the ledge overlooking Pyrrha and Jaune’s makeshift training ground. He takes a seat, looking down at the partners who slowly crawl to their feet. “That’s enough for tonight, Jaune,” Pyrrha murmurs, barely fazed by their training.

Jaune, on the other hand, looks about two seconds from combustion, an almost green tinge coating his skin in a sickly sheen of sweat. Exhaustion oozes from every pore. “I think,” he begins dizzily, clambering upright and barely maintaining his stance, “that that’s… a good idea.”

Pyrrha turns, unintentionally facing Mercury. Over Jaune’s shoulder, her face is in clear view; Mercury cannot fight back the snort which pops out of him as he finally sees the expression on her face as she looks at her partner, understanding finally, truly dawning upon him.

_She’s infatuated with this idiot, isn’t she?_

He has always known that there was something strange about the relationship between Pyrrha Nikos and Jaune Arc, but he certainly hadn’t paid it enough mind to expect _this;_ there is a kind of adoration which shimmers in large, dewy green eyes as she chuckles and sighs with so much affection that it almost pulls at Mercury’s heart, too. She teases him softly, pushing his shoulder with the most textbook affectation of a schoolgirl in love, a manner which Mercury has never seen the put-together girl demonstrate in public. _But why?_ he wonders silently, raising shocked brows in disgusted disbelief. _You’re actually capable. I get that you’re teammates, but_ him?

And yet, he cannot deny that there is a sincerity to her face that he has never really seen in _anyone_ before. She is soft as she looks at Jaune- soft, and kind, and welcoming, with a kind of yearning he does not know how to name. As she helps Jaune put away his sword and shield, then pats him on the back to encourage his lethargic steps to take him home, that yearning becomes more pronounced until it glows bright enough to burn, her ears and the apples of her cheeks burning with a pink that complements the redness of her hair perfectly.

Jaune doesn’t see it, Mercury realizes belatedly. He doesn’t realize it.

Disdain is the only word to describe Mercury’s reaction. It is pathetic, debasing oneself in order to appeal to someone so base- someone who will never notice nor benefit her. What is even the point?

However, when he brings this discovery up to Emerald, his teammate has something else to say. “It’s kind of pathetic, isn’t it?” she says as she polishes her guns methodically upon the floor of their bedroom. “Pyrrha has everything Blondie wants to be, and she’d be the type to give it all up for him, too, if it made him happy. If she doesn’t die in the Fall, she’s gonna be led around on a string by him forever.” Snorting, she mutters, “It’s disgusting.”

‘Disgusting’ is not how Mercury would describe it. He struggles to attach that word to the earnestness which had radiated off of her bright face. ‘Pathetic’, however, is far too fitting of a word. It is a sour word to have in his mouth. He does not say it; the taste lingers anyways, though.

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a comment and let me know what you think!


End file.
